Capitol building in a shameful state

September 16, 2012

What's next? Leaving the gum on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial? ... For who would have thought the day would come when the harsh partisanship of even the tea party Republicans would prohibit important repairs to no less a building than the United States Capitol, the heart and soul, at least in terms of hard structures, of American democracy?

But that's what's happening.

The Capitol Dome is in such a state and Stephen Ayers, who holds the position of architect of the Capitol, says it now ranks as a safety hazard.

The Dome, that grand and historic symbol, hasn't had any major renovations in 50 years. Given that it is in Washington, a city which suffers extremes of weather with blistering summers and heavy snowfalls in winter, that is remarkable.

And, as it turns out, neglectful.

There now are 1,300 known cracks in the Dome. That means there likely are many more. ...

Democrats in the Senate have appropriated $61 million to fix the Dome. Republicans in the House, where tea partyers willing not long ago to shut down the government over a budget dispute are in charge, won't act. They're standing by their austerity promises. ...

For the American people, no matter which political side they happen to be on, this dispute surely rises to the top of the list of reasons why Congress finds itself with improvement ratings in the cellar underneath the cellar. ...

Many descriptions of that scenario come to mind. Shrewd politics isn't one of them.